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Saturday, December 8, 2012

Government Issues Statement Debunking End of the World: “Just Rumors”

With the purported 2012 Mayan Apocalypse calculated to take place on December 21st rapidly approaching, thousands of letters have poured into government agencies like NASA from citizens concerned about the end of the world.
Doomsday fears surrounding the end of the Mayan calendar, a possible collision with a mystery “Planet X” theorized by some researchers, and pole shift popularized in the Hollywood movie 2012, have forced the government to issue a rebuttal debunking the claims at their USA.gov web site:

Scary Rumors about the World Ending in 2012 Are Just Rumors
False rumors about the end of the world in 2012 have been commonplace on the Internet for some time. Many of these rumors involve the Mayan calendar ending in 2012 (it won’t), a comet causing catastrophic effects (definitely not), a hidden planet sneaking up and colliding with us(no and no), and many others.
The world will not end on December 21, 2012, or any day in 2012.
Unfortunately, these rumors have many people frightened, especially children. NASA has received thousands of letters concerned about the end of the world. David Morrison, a planetary astronomer and senior scientist for NASA who answers questions from the public about astrobiology, says, “At least a once a week I get a message from a young person ― as young as 11 ― who says they are ill and/or contemplating suicide because of the coming doomsday.”
According to NASA, the old mystery-planet-collision rumor year was 2003, but when 2004 arrived safely, the rumors changed to 2012.
So what end-of-the-world year will the rumor mill make up next?

NASA and the government have taken extraordinary steps to assuage the feelings of fear surrounding potentially life-ending “global killer” events.
Widespread blackouts resulting from solar storms, for example, are of particular concern among many individuals researching potentially devastating scenarios. A detailed 2010 report from the Center for Security Policy found that a wide-spread national level blackout for extended periods of time would leave some 90% of Americans dead within one year should it come to pass. In this case, the public’s fears stemmed from numerous reports warning of powerful solar storms that may hit earth in late 2012 through 2014 during the Sun’s peak solar cycle, as well as from anagency-wide preparedness alert issued by NASA head Charles Bolden which warned employees to think about and prepare for attacks “from outside forces.”
Though NASA claims their organization is not predicting such a blackout and that there is nothing to be concerned about regarding the peak of the sun’s solar cycle over the next couple years, they are actively building a solar shield to protect against massive flares from the sun and have created detailed preparedness plans in the event such a scenario unfolds, leaving many wondering what is actually being discussed behind closed doors.
Moreover, further confusion and distrust stems from NASA’s claims of the impossibility of events such as pole shifts and meteor strikes.
Though pole shifts have clearly occurred in the past, as evidenced by this NASA report, and are likely in progress right now, the NASA debunking page claims, “as far as we know, such a magnetic reversal doesn’t cause any harm to life on Earth – scientists believe a magnetic reversal is very unlikely to happen in the next few millennia.”
Likewise, NASA says they have ”determined that there are no threatening asteroids as large as the one that killed the dinosaurs,” in Earth’s vicinity, yet they and the US government are actively preparing for ex-planetary threats such as asteroids.
The government has gone to great lengths to let us know that there are no potential threats on the horizon, but they have invested tens of of billions of dollar into preparedness strategies that include bunkers, food supplies and continuity of government contingencies just in case.
While we are hard-pressed to believe the world will end on December 21, 2012, or even in 2013, nothing is outside of the realm of possibility. Obviously, the government has determined that utilizing billions of dollars at the taxpayer’s expense to build backup plans is a worthwhile investment, which suggests that officials at the top of the homeland security food chain are more paranoid then anyone else.
Curiously, though they are not necessarily traditional end-of-the-world Armageddon scenarios, there is very little discussion and much denial about the possibility of an economic collapse, an elite takeover of the global population through centralized governance, implementation of martial law, and the potential for World War III to go hot, yet the government seems to be fully involved in planning for such activities as well.
Perhaps those who take it upon themselves to research these far-from-equilibrium possibilities are a bit paranoid.
However, with government transparency being as opaque as it’s ever been, the people have been left with no choice but to be suspicious of official stories and paranoid about their government’s activities.

Verizon Seeks to Spy on Your Private Conversations: THEY WANT TO MONITOR YOU IN YOUR OWN HOME!

It’s no secret that pretty much anything we say and do is probably monitored by someone at some level. Americans have slowly given up their right to privacy in favor of modern convenience and technology. Although most Americans seem blissfully in favor of giving up their privacy, up until now most would probably object to someone listening in on their private conversations at home.If Verizon has their way, that may soon change:
If Verizon has their way, the once thought private sanctuary of your home may not be private for much longer. Verizon has applied for a patent to bug your home through what they’re calling “access devices” in order to better target you with their advertisements.
The Patent looks to introduce smart cable boxes, smart phones and DVR boxes that would be able to monitor everything you do. The access devices would become self-aware and listen for everything from fights with your spouse, to private pillow talk in order to serve up targeted ads.If that doesn’t creep you out, the words from their patent should:

FROM THEIR PATENT APPLICATION:
To illustrate, an exemplary ambient action may include the user eating, exercising, laughing, reading, sleeping, talking, singing, humming, cleaning, playing a musical instrument, performing any other suitable action, and/or engaging in any other physical activity during the presentation of the media content. In certain examples, the ambient action may include an interaction by the user with another user (e.g., another user physically located in the same room as the user).
To illustrate, the ambient action may include the user talking to, cuddling with, fighting with, wrestling with, playing a game with, competing with, and/or otherwise interacting with the other user.
In further examples, the ambient action may include the user interacting with a separate media content access device (e.g., a media content access device separate from the media content access device presenting the media content). For example, the ambient action may include the user interacting with a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone device, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, etc.) during the presentation of a media content program by a set-top box (“STB”) device.

How long will Americans allow themselves to become lab rats for these companies? Not only does this cross the line from privacy into the realm of downright creepy, but how long will it take for the government to demand access to these private conversations?
With the growing symbiotic relationship between these tech companies and the federal government, it’s highly likely that all of this information will eventually find its way into the hands of some bureaucrat in the federal government. After last weeks attempt by the United States Senate to access your private email and social media conversations, I don’t think it’s a far leap to think they would go after your private conversations at home.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Fresh Eggs are a valuable backyard commodity. Hens start laying when it warms up in spring and lay eggs each day through the summer months; they stop laying in winter. However, there is a remedy that's not too difficult to set up that will keep hens laying through winter.

Instructions

Install several lights at various points in your coop to ensure that the chickens get as much light as they get naturally during the summer months.

Set the lights on a timer that allows them to stay on 14 or 15 hours per day to compensate for the extra hours of darkness of winter.

Spike the chickens' water with Cayenne pepper to give them a warm feeling similar to summertime.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Location Based Threats: Preparing for the Most Likely Disasters in Your Neighborhood

800 residents from the town of Doyline, located about 270 miles northwest of New Orleans, had to be quickly evacuated after officials found over six million pounds of improperly stored explosives on the grounds of Camp Minden.
I came across a story this morning that I though was a good example of why you need to prepare for threats within your own neighborhood.
Louisiana State Police say that 6 million pounds of explosives, including M6 artillery propellant, were found recklessly packed into buildings and left in open cardboard boxes on long rows of pallets outside the old Louisiana Army Ammunitions Plant. Officials are now removing the explosives, but residents are expected to be under a mandatory evacuation order for at least a couple of days.
This story highlights something that we’ve been saying for a while. Preparedness isn’t always about preparing for doomsday type events. It also means knowing what dangers are in your neighborhood, and having a plan to deal with those threats.

What are the immediate dangers near your location?

Is there anything that stands out about your neighborhood? Are there obstacles or dangers that are specific to your geographical location that could leave you vulnerable?

What are the most likely location based threats that you’ll face? (Terrorist threats, chemical and/or biological threats, threats to critical infrastructure, criminal activity, inadequate access to supply routes or escape routes during a disaster, etc…)

Is there anything about your area that makes it a possible target?

Dealing with Location Based Threats

You Must Have a Bugout Bag – Should a situation present itself where you have to immediately leave your location, you need to have a bag filled with emergency supplies that can see you through the evacuation period.

You Need an Evacuation Plan – Having an emergency evacuation plan is a vital step in being prepared. In my opinion, it’s one of the most important elements in any survival plan. The last thing you want in any emergency situation, is to get caught up in the chaos of an evacuation.

Make Sure You Have Cash – You should always have an emergency supply of cash on hand at all times. If you need to quickly evacuate, having a some emergency cash will help you do everything from rent a hotel room, to stock up on extra supplies.

By Mary Pellerito Part of eating seasonally for me is eating only certain foods at certain times of the year so I can truly enjoy the taste, texture, and color of food. Cranberries are a fruit that I only eat around the holidays. The bright, red color is so welcome during this time of year, when it more dark than light outside. And the tanginess really lights up your mouth. Here are two of my favorite recipes.

Cranberry Walnut CrunchThis recipe is from a book titled, Ruth and Skitch Henderson's Christmas in the Country. I have had this book for a long time. This is my favorite 'cranberry sauce' recipe. It makes 5-6 cups so reduce quantities as appropriate. I halve the recipe and that makes just enough for Thanksgiving dinner.4 cups fresh cranberries1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed1/2 tsp ground cloves1 cup walnuts, coarsely choppedCombine the cranberries, sugar, and cloves in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly but very gently, until sugar is dissolved. Try to keep the cranberries whole. Gently fold in the walnuts and cook, stirring gently, over low heat for an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm or cold.Cranberry Upside-Down CakeThis recipe is from the Complete Seasonal Cookbook put out by Williams-Sonoma. I make this as a Christmas morning breakfast treat.For the topping:4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar3/4 lb. cranberriesFor the cake:1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour2 tsp. baking powder1/4 tsp. salt8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter1 cup granulated sugar2 eggs, separated1 tsp. vanilla extract1/2 cup milk1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

Directions:To make the topping, butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Put the butter and brown sugar in the prepared pan and place the pan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved. Scatter the cranberries over the butter-sugar mixture. Set aside. Preheat an oven to 350°F. To make the cake, in a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix well. Using a silicone or rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk. In a bowl, using a whisk or an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Using the spatula, fold the whites into the batter. Spoon the batter over the cranberries in the cake pan, spreading it evenly. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert onto a serving plate, let stand for 5 minutes, then lift off the pan.

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